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Gifts Under $75, Gold Award: Harry and David, Spring-Summer 2000

Certainly the adage “if you look good, we look good” could be applied to gift shopping with a Harry and David catalog: If you’re in the market for a floral or food gift, Harry and David surely has one that will make the recipient feel good, which will in turn make you look good. And this, agreed the judging panel, makes the Gold Award-winning Harry and David Spring-Summer 2000 catalog look great.

The first reaction to this catalog during the judging session was “Look at the stopping power of that cover!” A pale-green glass dessert cup brims with succulent berries and sliced peaches, propped next to a perfect pink rose. It’s as fresh as a farm stand but, given the trappings, far more elegant. The judges felt that this image is perfect for a shopper in search of a gift that will make a good impression.

Inside, more spectacular images await. The photography captures exquisite details, such as droplets of water on the Royal Velvet Plums, the drizzle of the Carmel Dipping Sauce cascading off a precision-cut slice of apple, and a careful cross-section of petit fours that reveals layers of luscious almond-and-butter pound cake, milk-chocolate truffle cream, vanilla butter cream, and raspberry jam. “Food photography is tough to do well, but Harry and David makes it look easy. I can’t recall ever seeing better food shots. This is truly impressive,” raved one judge.

Looking at these stunning photographs is enough to conjure up vivid recollections — of your old lemonade stand, of stopping at a farmer’s market on a lazy afternoon, of children playing among a colorful field of wildflowers. But while the Harry and David photographs have the power to evoke such nostalgia for the simple things in life, the copy doesn’t neglect its duty to sell. Take this description of the Sweetheart Chocolate Box: “Here’s one of the prettiest, most unique gift boxes you can give. We’ve cradled an assortment of chocolate cremes and carmels inside a beautiful presentation box — itself sculpted of pure milk chocolate. It’s a memorable gift for anyone you’re sweet on.” Never mind that, strictly speaking, something can’t be “most” unique (it’s either unique or it’s not); as one judge said, the copy is “highly persuasive for two reasons especially: tantalizing descriptions, and helpful suggestions regarding ideal gifting situations.”

Service is also stellar. The guarantee is rock-solid, which the cataloger reminds readers throughout the book. “It instills the utmost confidence by reassuring you and making the service policies clear and unmistakable,” said a judge.

Harry and David withstood rigorous scrutiny during the judging process and emerged unscathed. As one judge pointed out, this edition stands as an example of just how far many in the catalog industry have yet to go.

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Being prepared for the holiday rush used to mean stocking shelves and making sure your associates were ready for the long hours. But the digital revolution has changed everything, most importantly, customer expectations. Retailers with a physical store presence should be asking themselves—what am I doing to wow the customer?